Shop Small, Shop Local!
Signature Events
Main Street Festival
Back 2 School Jam
Riverfest
Signature Events
Main Street Festival
Back 2 School Jam
Riverfest
Welcome to The Laurel Board of Trade
Bringing Laurel Businesses Together
The Laurel Board of Trade, Inc. is a local non-profit membership organization that has been bringing together Laurel merchants since the early 1960s.
The Laurel Board of Trade today includes over 100 small business members including retail merchants, restaurant owners and professional and B2B service providers. We work in direct partnership with the City of Laurel, Prince George’s County and the State of Maryland to help our local merchants work towards the common goal of keeping Laurel a hub of commerce.
Get Involved
Over the years, our basic mission has not changed; to help members be their best through connections to knowledge, ideas, relationships with other small businesses in the area and educating the community on the importance of buying local and supporting your local small businesses.
H J Poist Gas Company started in 1937 by my father, Holman J Poist. He started small in a rental space on Main Street where Pal Jack’s Pizza was.
He built it up bit by bit with many hours of hard work. In 1952, he purchased a storage facility on Route 1 in Savage. He built the building we now occupy in 1949. We sold furniture and appliances along with our burgeoning propane business.
In 1960, my husband Andy Underwood, out of college, joined the business and helped my father grow the business for the next 50 years! HJPoist remains a family business some 84 years later. My son and daughter, Michael and Kimberly, along with my grandchildren, Dana and Sean have continued the family tradition of hard work and the business continues to enjoy success as a result of their efforts and our very loyal customers!
HJ Poist will always treat its customers with the personalized attention they deserve and not as an account number of some large corporation. 24/7, 365 days a year, we answer your calls and will respond immediately to your need. We accept our responsibility in caring for our customers, associates, and our community. HJ Poist was founded on 3 principles—honesty, fairness, and gratitude and we do our best to practice those same principles today…84 years later.